


Just a Matter of Time...

by SergeantTamoraCalhoun



Category: Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-31
Updated: 2013-01-31
Packaged: 2017-11-27 15:58:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/663848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SergeantTamoraCalhoun/pseuds/SergeantTamoraCalhoun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life as a character of the arcade games could be tricky. Your entire world, and how long it lasted rested entirely out of they're hands. Fickleness of users, better games, technical errors...all these were reasons your world could end. But could something like this happen to a game that withstood the test of time, like Fix it Felix, Jr?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Characters of Wreck it Ralph do not belong to me. They are property of Disney!

Chapter 1

Time at the arcade always seemed to pass like nothing at all. Kid come and go, while most games stay unchanged. They had lost some games over the past 5 years, but that was the life of video games. As they lose popularity, malfunction, or just better versions arise, new games come into replace them. It had been a few years since the whole Tur-bug incident in Sugar rush and everything has pretty much gone back to normal. Well, almost everything that is.

A lot of games have found a newfound respect for their systems 'bad guys' after Ralph paved the way and brought to new light that they're not really a bad guy, it was just they're job. Characters no longer fled in fear at the sight of one of these villains, though some were still wary of them.

The real thing to fear, were the only true 'bad guy', the Cy-bugs of Hero's Duty. These mindless creatures could infect any game to the point of it being demolished, and by fault unplugged. Since the episode in Sugar rush, and a certain couple making the characters aware of the dangers there has not been an incident since.

The gamescape of Hero's Duty was desolate, acrid smoke billowing through the air. Despite the environment, this was home for the solders of this game. Waiting in the briefing terminal for another quarter alert, the Sergeant sighed, running a hand though her short blonde hair. Today had been a long day, and she couldn't wait for it to end. It was a relief for her and her soldiers when she heard a shout from off in the distance, past the viewing screen.

"All clear!" It was the voice of one of the games towards the front of Litwaks arcade, signaling the man himself had just left and locked the building. Standing up straight, with a slight scowl on her face Calhoun hung her helmet on the wall beside her before turning to address her men. "Alright men, that's all for today. But remember! Even though the arcade is closed, that doesn't mean our job is finished. "Her tone was sharp and to the point, much like it always was when she was addressing them. "Markowski! I did not dismiss anyone" She shouted as the soldier in the back tried to leave prematurely. "Just for that, you're on guard duty tonight. I expect you to not leave your post and radio me at the slightest disturbance. The rest of you are dismissed! I better see you all he at 1400 hours alert and ready!" With her normal speech finished, she strode down the terminal that would lead to game central station.

She didn't take more than two steps out into the main area then she heard a familiar sound that made a small smile spread across her lips. Turning to her left she saw a small, much less proportionate handy man bouncing towards her grinning ear to ear. As he landed beside her, she pushed the bill of his hat down over his face. "So, you're actually on time tonight, civilian?" Her tone was much softer then when addressing her troops, though there was still an air of command in it as she smirked down at him.

Fixing his hat, he smiled up at her. "Yes ma'am! Are you ready to head on home?" There was an emotion in his voice, a bit of hesitance in his accent that caught her interest. Something in his eyes that she didn't often see that caused her to frown a bit. But that could wait until they got home.

Home. It wasn't a hard decision to make once they were married. It was a rarity that she allowed him into Hero's Duty, due to the all too real danger. So most of their time together was spent in Niceland or one of the other arcade games like Sugar Rush to visit friends. They made their home originally in Felix's penthouse apartment, but it was quickly apparent that would not work for long. The apartments were the perfect size for the Nicelanders, but given her realistic proportions, Calhoun would often hit her head on the ceiling or door jams. The furniture didn't work all that well for her either. Her feet would hang over the edge of the bed, and she would have to spread her feet out in front of her to sit on any of the chairs or sofas.

She never complained though, she was happy that she found him, and that they were living they're nights in a much less threatening environment. It wasn't long before Felix decided they needed a larger place, for more reasons than one. With the help of the handy power equipment provided by the game and his co-worker/friend Ralph, they had built a nice one story house just outside of the view of the public. The home was built to accommodate her taller build, but Felix still felt comfortable in the home.

Living in Niceland had perks that she still, after 5 years, was getting used to. No guards, no locking the door. Those were foreign concepts to her due to her programming. She would still carry a gun with her when she left her post, but has been getting in the habit, more to Felix's prompting then to her own choice, of leaving her riffle at Hero's Duty.

Being the gentleman that he was, as they arrived home after the short railcar trip from the station, he opened the door and stepped aside to allow her through the entryway first. Moving into the house she let out a sigh, stretching her arms up over her head. It really had been a long day and it was good to be home. She headed over to a small closet where she proceeded to remove her heavy metal armor, revealing the still military issue outfit underneath. She wore the white wife beater and khaki pants issued for downtime wear, her dog tags dangling from around her neck that was now visible with her armor removed.

Shutting the door to the closet softly, she turned to her husband with a smile only to have it vanish quickly. As she turned she took in the sight of her husband, staring out the window to their home towards the screen to the outside world. She knew that look. She saw that look on many characters faces as they contemplated life inside a video game. None of them knew how long they're games would last. How long could one game stay popular? What happened if they malfunctioned? With luck, the residents of the game made it to game central station before that happened, but that didn't happen every time.

Closing the distance between the two of them, she took hold of his hat, sliding it off his head before kneeling beside him so that she could look into his eyes. "What's wrong, love?" Her voice was uncharacteristically soft, though she found herself using that tone more often over these years, though only around him.

His round eyes gazed up at her, moist as he turned to face her. "…Its nothing….It's just.." He sighed, looking out the window once more. "…Our game..It's getting older. We've been going for 35 years. I'm just a worried wart I guess…" He frowned as he spoke.

Knitting her brow she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him towards her. She too had noticed how worn his game was looking. Paint losing its color and peeling. Sure, kids still played it, but how long would that last for a retro game like Fix it Felix, Jr? How long did any of them have for that matter? The thought crossed her mind from time to time, like a Cybug gnawing at the back of her mind. "You're worried about that again? Well, buck up soldier. Your game has been around for 35 years! And you're still popular with the players. What is there to worry about?" She did it again, always doing so when things got emotional. Shutting out her own worries and emotions and speaking harsher them she meant to. When he looked away from her she sighed, moving her hand to his chin she turned his face to look at her once more. "Sorry" She spoke softer now, placing a kiss to his nose. "That worry is all too real, I know that. It can happen to any game..but yours has done so well for so long; you shouldn't let yourself worry too much…"

He smiled a little at that, leaning into her as he wrapped his arms around her. "…I guess your right… It's just…I don't know.. Our game seems to be, I don't know..Acting a bit strange is all." His voice was quiet, worry still laced in his tone. That was one thing that made it easier for her. She wasn't all that emotional of a woman, thanks to her lovely back story, but since he wore his heart on his sleeves, it left little guessing on her part as to what he was feeling.

That comment worried her. A game acting strange was no laughing matter. When games were broken or glitching, they were unplugged. Game over, permanently. "What do you mean acting strange? How long has this been going on?" The authority entered her voice again as she stood up, looking out the window in front of him at the landscape of Niceland. It looked normal enough, but she wasn't present during game play. Was something going on that she wasn't noticing? Was she getting soft? No, she couldn't allow that to happen. She wouldn't allow anything to happen to this game, or more importantly to Felix.

"I don't know. It's only happened just a few times. Maybe I'm just imagining it…" He rubbed a gloved hand against the back of his neck. "When we have a user, sometimes, I don't know, I don't move right. At least, not as they intend. I've been losing more often than winning lately, and I don't think its they're fault…"

She felt as though her blood ran cold at his words, fear clenching her heart. Fear was not an emotion she ever felt. Not in the whole Turbo incident, not in her world. Fear was nothing but a four letter word. But as she heard his words, truth ringing in them, she felt fear for the first time. It couldn't be. Not his game. Not now. She wouldn't allow it! Kneeling down next to him once more, she placed her hands firmly on his shoulders as she gazed into his blue eyes. "Nothing will happen to you…Do you hear me? I won't allow it!" Leaning down, she rested her forehead against his, causing him to smile slightly.

"Now come on, short stuff." She smirked, taking his hand as she stood. "I think we could both use a little 'R&R'" As she most often made him do, his face turned red at her suggestion. So old fashioned and Innocent. But that was part of what she liked about him, not to mention he was one of the few men that wasn't afraid of her. "..Y-Yes ma'am"


	2. Chapter 2

Time marched on, as it always did for the games. Day in and day out, there was users to play, enjoying themselves and they're momentary escape from reality. It must be nice to unleash your pent up frustrations on something you think can't feel it. Well, they felt it, and boy did they sometimes. The characters may regenerate in their own game after each player is done, win or lose, but they still got sore on some days.

It was just before closing time, though there were still a lot of users in the arcade. What did they call today? 'Saturday'? It seemed to be the busiest day of the week. Calhoun and her battalion were halfway up the beacon tower, making their way up fairly steadily. The user was a regular in her game, so they were doing fairly well. They reached a more quiet section as they neared the room.

The Sergeants voice was hushed but sharp, to the point. "Alright ladies. Now is no time to let your guard down." She glanced at the door, before looking to the mobile bot where the user could be visible. "I've gotten intel that these Cybugs have set up a nest behind that door in our lab. We've got to get in there and…" Her voice trailed off as she took in the sight behind the user on the screen. Mr. Litwak was helping a player in front of the game Fix it Felix Jr.

The older man was frowning, moving the joystick slightly as he gazed at the screen. She could see from here something was wrong. Felix wasn't moving right, not following the joystick. But as they all were supposed to do, he kept in character. Something else that her sharp eyes noticed, that her husband had not mentioned to her, was the graphics occasional twitch. Much like the glitching she had seen a certain sugary racer do, though this time; it was the entire game doing it in spurts.

What she heard next, made her blood run cold. Throw her into a nest of Cy-bugs? She'd do just great. But when she felt a certain four letter word clench at her heart as she heard the owner utter the sentence. "That's too bad. Looks like old Felix's finally giving out. I guess he had a good run, being 35 years an' all.. Here you go, why don't you try something else?" He retrieved a few quarters from his belt, handing it off to the child before he taped the orange sign onto the screen of the game.

Calhoun almost dropped her weapon when her own user caught her eye again. She couldn't do anything about it now, but this was the last game of the day. She'd help to get it all worked out. Nothing would happen, she wouldn't let it. Her eyes hardened as she turned, using her gun to shoot the door's control panel which opened in a whooshing sound. That was when all hell broke loose.

One of her men, who must also have noticed what was going on outside of their game stepped the room and stumbled. They play this game how many times a day? Given Users don't always get this far but he should still know where not to step! Falling forward his weapon skidded across the floor with a sharp metallic grinding noise. It came to a stop but not before tapping one of the hundred eggs of the Cybugs nest. It started to glow, twitching as it quickly started to hatch and signaling the other eggs around it to do the same.

The Sergeant turned to the user, unwillingly glancing past as she spoke to the game behind him. "Take out those eggs before they keep spreading! We can't let them hatch or we're done for!" Done for. That wasn't really true, was it? Sure, it's been 5 years since her game was plugged in and she hadn't died once, even with some of the green users that came to play her game. But that wasn't true for everyone. That orange paper taped to her loved ones game proved game over could be all too real. No, she wouldn't let herself think about that now. She didn't have time to be distracted long though as the bugs quickly grew, the remainder eggs hatching as she started to unload on the living machines.

Luckily for her, it was over quickly. The user faltered halfway into the room, a mass of glowing screeching machines finally taking him out. The beacon at the top of the tower hummed to life not but a few seconds later, catching all of the bugs full attention. They evacuated the tower to their demise in a column of bright white light. As soon as the users screen went black, the computerized voice saying the game was over; she dropped her riffle before reaching to her belt. Pulling out a long oval object that was flat on two sides she flipped a switch before tossing it out the missing panel of a nearby window. Unholstering her pistol she shot out the rest of the window before charging towards the open air.

"Clean this mess up and get to your posts!" She shouted, removing her helmet before jumping out the now open window pane. The pit of her stomach dropped out, and it wasn't the ten foot fall to the now unfolded and waiting hovercraft. She had to get to him, find a way to get this problem resolved. He was Fix it Felix after all, they had to be able to do something. Not wasting any more time, she kicked her boot down causing the craft's engine to roar to life and sped off towards the fastest route to the portal.


	3. Chapter 3

Bursting into Game Central Station she broke one of the cardinal rules, not that she cared at the moment in the least. It did set off the Surge Protector who attempted to follow her as she soared over the gathering characters that had also seen, or heard about what was going on. He appeared in front of her again as she neared the portal to Fix it Felix Jr, waving his arms frantically to stop her approach That gesture didn't stop her either as she sped past, knocking him out of the way as she barreled past down the games tunnel.

The scene that greeted her eyes as she emerged from the long dark tunnel was much as she would have expected. The Nicelanders were out in front of their apartment building, staring up at the orange sign blocking they're gaming consol. Leaning back she slowed the craft down just enough so that she could dismount. Once her weight was removed it went still, hovering a foot off the ground. Her eyes immediately met her husband's as she rushed to him, kneeling in front of his smaller form. She placed her hands on his shoulders as she glared into his eyes, though that didn't hide the fear in their ice blue depths. "Damn it Fix it! Why didn't you tell me your game was glitching that bad?"

Felix looked down at his feet, tears in his eyes that he was holding back. Sniffing quietly he sighed. "…I didn't want you to worry. I thought I could fix it, like I always do…" He held up his magic hammer. "But this doesn't do anything to fix this…" Placing his hammer on his tool belt, he took off his hat, wringing it worriedly between his gloved hands.

The expression on his face broke her heart. Pulling him close to him, holding him tight despite her still wearing her heavy armor she rested her chin against the top of his head. "…Don't worry….We'll make this work." Her mind was going a mile a minute trying to formulate a plan. He couldn't stay in her game, it was too dangerous. They'd have to find a place to make a new home in a safer game, though which game that would be she didn't know yet. Pulling away from him she looked down into his misty eyes. "Come on; let's go get everything together so we can all make it out of here. He nodded at her words

The game characters that had taken up residence in Niceland after their own games were unplugged were the first to file from the game. They didn't want to get stuck in the game after it was unplugged, or they would be deleted like everything else in the game. The residents of Niceland took a little longer to gather what they could together, placing it in the train at the small station located near the back portal. Calhoun and Felix were in their home on the outskirts, out of game view gathering their own belongings. They didn't have much to take with them, just some pictures and other nick nacks along with some spare clothes. The Sergeant had gotten an army bag she had kept in their bedroom closet, zipping it shut as she placed the last item inside. Night was coming to a close, it wouldn't be too much longer before Mr. Litwak showed up to open the store, and bring the repair guy to take a look at the game.

Slinging the bag over her shoulder she left the bedroom, looking around the place she had called home the last 5 years once last time. She found Felix in the living room of their home, looking down at a small framed version of their wedding picture. Smiling sadly she leaned down to kiss his cheek. "Come on, we need to go…We'll find another home..in some other game…" Her voice was gentle, a tone she rarely used unless they were alone. He leaned into her touch as he turned his head, kissing her lightly before he looked up into her eyes.

"I know…but this world has been my home since...well, I was created… I can't believe this day is actually here…" Her brow knit together as his tone tugged at her heart. She may not be someone that showed a lot of emotion to most people, but this man wore his heart on his sleeves. It wasn't hard to see how badly this was affecting him. She would make it right though, make sure they got out and find all of the Nicelanders a safe new home.

"…It's a sad fact of what we are...This is something that will happen to all of us someday. I'm just thankful it happened with enough warning. Now come on, we need to go…" Putting a gloved hand on his shoulder, she steered him out the front door. It didn't take them long before they too reached the train station where the games railcar sat loaded and waiting to take them to safety. Ralph and the other Nicelanders had waited for them, though they looked just as forlorn as Felix about what was happening.

Placing the bag into the train she turned to the Nicelanders, staying close to Felix and resting her hand on his shoulder. "We need to move out now while we still have the time. First thing tomorrow night we will find you new homes in another game, so this is not the end. This happens to every game at some point; it's just something that we need to face." Though her words were blunt, they were not spoken harshly. Like she said, this is something that all games feared and had to face at some point. They're games and lives came and went on the whims of the users. "Its time to go..."

At first they all piled into the railcars, only to realize that it wasn't working, more than likely another victim of the games glitching. Thinking quickly she jumped off of the train, taking charge. "Everyone! Move your belongings to the first car! Gene! Uncouple that car!" Her coding, her training kicked in as she barked out orders in a commanding voice. They didn't have much time left and they needed to get moving now. "Wrecker! You're going to push that car to the station!" She felt a hand on her waist, breaking her focus as she looked down to see her husband. Blinking, she snapped out of the state she was in. She wasn't with her troupes, she wasn't in her game, and she didn't need to act so cold and commanding here, especially not now. Clearing her throat, patting his hand slightly in thanks she walked towards the first car, making it to the train as soon as Gene finished uncoupling it setting the last car free. "I'll help you push" She addressed Ralph now, who muttered his thanks with a slight smile. Placing her hands on the cart next to Ralph, she pushed against it. "Alright, let's go everyone! Stay behind us in case the car breaks loose!" Calhoun's voice was softer now as she spoke, glancing back at Felix before she started to put her full strength into moving the car.

It didn't take as long as she thought to push the railcar up to the tunnel, despite the cargo load the car moved easily up the tracks. Felix and the Nicelanders hung about 10 feet behind them just to the side of the tracks. They were talking quietly to themselves, Mary crying softly as they left their home behind. It was as the Sergeant and Wrecker pushed the car into the tunnel that all hell broke loose. The ground beneath their feet seemed to shudder as the game boke out into a massive glitching spurt. The scenery jumped and wavered, black static like bolts crashing though the 8-bit scenery as it went haywire. Turning around, she felt her blood turn cold. Felix and the rest of the Nicelanders were still about 5 feet away from the tunnel enterance, seemingly cemented in the glitching landscape as they tried to stay on they're feet.

"Felix!" There was fear in her voice as she rushed forward, trying to keep her footing on the unstable ground. She was a foot away from him when it happened. She ran head first into a blue force field, though she caught herself quickly before she fell backwards. Placing her hand on the shield, she felt panic rising up in her chest. "…No…" She had seen this before, back in Sugar Rush when Venelope wasn't able to exit her game due to her glitching caused by King Candy.

The blue shield didn't waver like it did that time, allowing everyone else though, but this was a game glitch, not a character glitch. It wasn't allowing anyone through, not even her. Felix who had finally gained proper footing rushed up to the other side of the field with the other Nicelanders. He started to pound on the blue humming force. "Tamora! What is this?" His voice held fear, not even trying to hide it.

Looking around, she tried to figure out what she could do to destroy the shield. Thinking quickly she jumped back few paces. "Felix! Step back!" She waited just a moment as Felix directed the Nicelanders to the side before she pulled out her pistol and started to fire off shots at the force field. They found out quickly that this was not the wisest of ideas. The plasma shots from her pistol bounced off of the blue barrier, ricocheting down the tunnel causing her and Ralph who was still on her side of the shield to dive out of they're path. The shots died out farther down the tunnel as the two rose to their feet.

Seeing the plan fail, Felix ran up to the barrier once more. "Tamora! Are you alright?" Despite the situation, he was worried about her. She shook her head, pushing away his concern for her as she moved back to her side of the shield. "What can I do?! We have to get you out of th-" She was cut short by a warning shout from outside the game, it echoed down the tunnel to Game Central Station. "Litwak's here! His car just pulled up!" She recognized the voice as someone from the dancing game that sat front and center in the arcade. They had the best view of the comings and goings of the arcade owner and was they're warning system to make sure that they could get back to their own games on time.

The color drained from Calhoun's face. She knew what that meant. She looked through the barrier at the orange sign hanging over the game console's window to the outside world. Today was the day Litwak planned to unplug his game, the glitch a death sentence to the system and the inhabitants that were now trapped inside. Panic set in as she pounded on the barrier with her gloved fists. "No! We have to get you out of there!"

Hearing the warning, Felix smiled sadly, placing his hand against the barrier which caused the blue swirling energy to ripple away from his touch, though it held strong. "…Tammy..." When she didn't respond, he spoke louder. "Tamora! Stop! There's nothing you can do…But you need to get out of here before they unplug us, or you'll die here with us!" His voice was calm despite the situation, firm about what he was speaking about.

"No! I will not leave you here to die!" Despite her effort, she had tears glittering in her blue eyes as she fell to her knees, separated from him only by the thin blue barrier. She didn't try to hide the tears that started to make tracks down her cheeks as she pounded once more on the barrier.

"Well I won't let you stay…" Felix watched her sadly for a moment before looking up at Ralph, he continued. "Ralph...brother. I need you to take Tamora to the station, make sure she stays there." His words were firm, he meant what he said and he knew Ralph would help him, he had to.

The wrecker had tears of his own in his eyes as he looked down at his smaller friend, like Felix put it, his brother. He nodded at him before he grabbed Calhoun by the waist, the motion of which caused her to start kicking, shouting out curses at him to let her go and more. She continued to struggle as Ralph turned and jogged down the tunnel towards the station. Felix and the trapped Nicelanders soon faded from sight, but the Sergeant's eyes never left his until she could no longer see them.

Ralph skidded to a stop in Game Central Station just as the plug was being pulled out of its place. The lighted banner that read 'Fix it Felix Jr' above the portal flickered briefly before the words disappeared, the sign going black. It was then that Calhoun stopped struggling against the Wrecker, giving into her tears as she gazed at the now empty port where the portal for his game now lay dark, no longer leading to anything. He was gone, and she could do nothing to stop it. Nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OCC: I just want to say thank you all for the reviews and favorites! I'm glad people are liking my story idea. Also wait before you flame! THIS MY NOT BE THE END! I have more ideas for where this story can go! Keep an eye out for a sequel! Also if you notice any mistakes please let me know! Also always looking for AIM rp if anyone is up for it! PM me if interested. Silvercivet


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